I’ve been where you are. Here’s my story.
I have been a Licensed Massage Therapist since 2006, and I also hold the designation of Certified Lymphedema Therapist (2007), Physical Therapist Assistant (2017), and Certified Oncology Massage Therapist (2017). I spent many wonderful years working for others and gaining invaluable clinical experience and team-building expertise. I have done massage in Medspa, sports clinics, outdoor events, hair salons, mobile/in-home, and a physical therapy clinic. As I continued my education and began working more closely with medical teams as a PTA and CLT, I always felt anxious and small with my knowledge and skill set instead of feeling empowered and intelligent. I struggled to speak up to my “smarter, more educated” colleagues because I was “just a massage therapist or just a physical therapist assistant.” Talking to doctors was even worse. Who cares what a massage therapist thinks about this situation? I was working at an awesome physical therapy clinic when I started my own practice. I left for three reasons; I was extremely anxious all of the time, had major imposter syndrome and thought owning my own business would bring me this magical instant freedom. I was in for an awakening.
I started my first practice, The Relaxation Corporation (2019), with a desire to bring wellness to my local community, but without much of a road map to do so. Although fully booked, my practice was disorganized, my services were underpriced, and business operations were hectic at best. I struggled with basically every aspect of the business: boundaries, scheduling, pricing, marketing, brand identity, compliance, and how to maintain work/life balance. This changed in 2021, when I met my business coach, took a year of business and marketing classes, and radically changed my mindset.
In early 2022, I opened Via Medical Massage. This practice was different: no working weekends, fully automated client scheduling, branding that reflected my true mission and values, regular community service, and the transition from a massage practice to a massage health care clinic. In one year, I doubled my revenue and added my first employee. In mid-2023, I added two more employees, started teaching, and launched my consulting practice. If numbers excite you, I easily grossed six figures just on my own the first year, and will easily double this by adding my staff. But it’s really not about the numbers. It’s about purpose and overcoming my biggest obstacle: myself.
I really struggled with pricing. I struggled to meet the needs of people who couldn’t afford a massage. I struggled to say yes to the right things and no to the wrong. With the help of my business coach and education, I not only learned how to run a profitable business, but I learned how to market like a boss, emphasize my amazing education, talk to doctors, define my values ( which defines my brand!), and most importantly: give back to the clients and community that mean so much to me! I am not blowing smoke up your ass when I say you CAN have a business that runs smoothly, with an incredible salary, a well-paid staff, and a strong community presence. I am so grateful to the people who helped me along the way and myself for not giving up.
I hear you, I see you, I AM you. I’m here to help.
